Better be wise than sorry
A combined operation by the Police and
Security Forces is now in full swing to smoke out possible LTTE suspects
who may have sneaked into the city to carry out acts of mayhem and
destruction.
According to latest reports over 900 persons have been rounded up,
among them five hardcore LTTE suspects in the operation code named
"Silent Night" that covered the Colombo City Zone.
Such an operation was in fact long overdue specially given the
impunity with which the LTTE carried out its assassinations of
intelligence operatives, political opponents and the most diabolical
killing of the country's Foreign Minister.
One now wonders had a proper security plan been in place if at least
some of these killings could have been prevented.
But sadly, on the premise of not jeopardizing the Ceasefire Agreement
Colombo dropped its intense security surveillance that was in place
prior to the CFA and provided an open sesame for the LTTE to expand its
undercover activity in the City.
How else could one explain the penetration of a High Security area
such as the residence of Minister Kadirgamar.
The dropping of guard obviously provided increased mobility for the
LTTE and a free run to carry out clandestine operations. One dreads to
think the extent of infiltration post-CFA which provided a carte blanch
to the LTTE to come and go to the City as it pleased.
Events show that the lull in security activity had bolstered the LTTE
to establish more cells in preparation for any eventuality.
The attempted assassination of Minister Douglas Devananda by a woman
suicide bomber right opposite Temple Trees was a good pointer to the
preparedness of the LTTE during the CFA.
It is in this context that the public should grasp the importance of
the current search operations and cooperate with the law enforcement
authorities.
Any inconvenience it may have to undergo should be endured for it is
their own protection that is at the centre of this action. It is better
to be wise than sorry as the old saying goes.
The Government on the other hand should take all measures to ensure
that the current operations is carried out with the minimum hassle to
the public. The men carrying out these raids should be enjoined to be
courteous to residents and desist from any ham fisted conduct.
Under no circumstance should innocent people made to suffer through
unwarranted grilling and undue harassment especially where members of
the opposite sex are concerned.
It is over this aspect that the PA Government drew much fire not so
long ago from Colombo's CWC Parliamentarians which led to the
appointment of a Committee to look into complaints.
Therefore the Government should take extreme care not to antagonize a
section of the Community in its quest for ensuring their own security.
It is also high time the Government puts in place a watertight
security scheme to guard against attacks on vital targets. The moribund
apparatus of the past three years should be overhauled and detection
methods upgraded to match the wiles of the enemy.
House to House searching while having its merits could also enlighten
the enemy on what to expect and attempt other methods of evading
detection, while routing checking of bus passengers at sentry points
could also have the same effect.
It is also incumbent upon all political parties especially the
opposition UNP to lend its total backing to whatever security scheme
introduced by the Government to protect the public without playing
politics because it is a united effort that is called for to face the
present challenge. |